STAFFORD, England - A mutilated body found in a British abbey graveyard has been identified as that of the gay lover of England's medieval King Edward II.

The Telegraph reported Monday that the remains thought to be those of Sir Hugh Despenser the Younger indicate he died a horrific death.

Despenser appears to have been hanged as well as drawn and quartered, the newspaper reported. After gaining favor with the king, his demise came when the queen and her ally, Roger Mortimer, deposed Edward from the throne in 1326.

Despenser's decapitated remains were buried at Hulton Abbey. They were first unearthed during the 1970s.

Reading University Anthropologist Mary Lewis says the manner of execution, carbon-dating of the bones, and the absence of several parts of the body indicates the remains are those of Despenser.

"If the remains are those of Sir Hugh Despenser the Younger, then this is the first time such an execution victim has been identified," was quoted as saying.